Attachment for type-writing machines



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(ll-REED. ATTAGHMENTPOR TYPE WRITINGMAGHINES. No. 473,237. Patented Apr. 19, 1892.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet ,2.

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ATTACHMENT. FOR TYPE WRITING MAGHINBS N0. 473,237. Patented Apr. 19, 1892..

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CHARLES J. REED, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

ATTACHMENT FOR TYPE-WRITING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 473,237, dated April 19, 1892. Application filed July 6, 1891. Serial No. 398,473. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. REED, a citizen of the United States, residing at Orange, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have made a new and useful invention in Attachments for Type-Writing Machines, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention is directed particularly to improvements in those attachments used in connection with well-known forms of type-writers, which govern or control the operation of the key-levers and their application to the printing of different kinds of characters with as few key-levers as possible.

In many of the Well-known type-writers now in general use the number of characters to be printed is largely in excess of the number of key-levers actually used, each of said key-levers being adapted, through the agency of additional attachments, to effect the printing of two or more characters. In some of these forms of type-writersnotably the Remington-the change from small letters to capitals is effected by holding down a cross-bar, which varies the position of the carriage in such manner that while it is so held any keylever depressed will print a different character from that which it would print were said bar not depressed. In. the Hammond typewriter supplemental key-levers are held down, which vary the positions of a type-wheel, and

' it is held in these positions until released.

My invention has for its object the provision of additional means which shall permit the operator to print capitals, small letters, punctuation-points, or numbers at will by simply manipulating the key-levers and the additional key-levers as the writing continues, these attachments being of such a nature that the mechanism is wholly automatic and is restored to its original condition after the depression of each key-lever. I accomplish this object by the use of the mechanism hereinafter described, but particularly pointed out in the claims which follow this specification.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have selected 'the keyboard and some of the adjunct parts of the well-known Hammond type-writer, in which two supplemental key-levers are utilized for giving to the typewheel thereof difierent'vertical positions, as is well understood by those acquainted with this special form of type-writer.

My invention will be fully understood b referring to the drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a portion of the keyboard of a Hammond type-Writer, showing the keyclevers and two supplemental key-levers for controlling the printing of capitals or numbers, together with a part of my improvement. Fig. 2 is a detail end or elevational view showing my attachment; and Figs. 3 and 4 are side elevational views thereof, illustrating the supplemental key-levers and their locking-dogs in different positions,while Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view disclosing my entire improvement, together with a single key-lever of the set, having mechanical connections with a type-hammer, the connections between the key-lever, type-hammer, and type-wheel being illustrated in the simplest manner to show the relation between my improvement and said parts.

Referring to the drawings in detail, B represents the base, K the keys, and L the keylevers, arranged as is usual in a Hammond type-writer, all of the rest of the operative portion of the apparatus being well understood bythose skilled in the art and not shown here.

K and K represent the supplemental or controlling keys, and L and L the key-1evers therefor, said keys and key-levers be ing operatively connected with the type-wheel through intermediate mechanism (not shown) and adapted when depressed to raise said type-wheel to different elevations in a manner well understood by those familiar with the aforesaid type-writer.

t and t are dogs pivoted to the key-levers L and L and provided with projections or catches e 6', adapted to fall into openings in the front face of a cross-bar D, as shown clearly in Fig. 5, when the key-levers are in their lowermost positions and to remain in their locked positions until they have been released, the adjustable stops 19 p limiting their lower throw.

The apparatus as thus far described is found inthe Hammond type-writer, and the supplemental key-levers L and L are released ioo after they have been once depressed by tilting the dogs t and 2S into their backward position, which is done by the operator after the desired letter or character has been printed, this operation of releasing the dogs requiring, also, a separate movement on the part of the operator after each capital or character or a series thereof has been printed. My attachment effects the automatic removal of these dogs, as I will now proceed to describe.

8 s are spiral springs attached at one end to an upright standard or support 0, and at their other ends to the upper ends of the dogs t t and having sufficient retractile power to cause said dogs te assume the position shown in Fig. 5 when the key-levers L and L are depressed. h

R is a sliding bar, composed of a pair of rods joined together and having longitudinal sliding motion through the cross-bar D at one endandthrougli the standard or snpportC at the other end, one portion thereof lying in the path of an extension E, carried by 2th armature-lever A, pivoted to the extended core of an electro-magnet M, secured to the base 13, as clearly shown in all the figures of the drawings.

The e1ectro-magnet M is included in circuit with 'a battery BA through a conductor w, attached to a pair of yielding springs m m, havingtheir free ends resting normallyin the path of the teeth of a ratchet-wheel R.

V G is a type-hammer, pivotally secured to a shaftN and provided with a retractile spring k and carrying a pawl (1, adapted to propel the ratchet-wheel R.

T is a type-wheel shown in its upper posiiion and adapted to print numbers, and when in its lower position adapted to print small letters, the intermediate position being for capitals, these features being well understood by those familiar with the Hammond type-writer. It is also to be understood that when the key K and lever L are depressed the arm owill carry with it the key K and lever L to the intermediate position, and when the key K is depressed it will assume its lowermost position regardless of the position of the key K and lever L.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Under ordinary conditions, when the keys K and levers L are actuated the type-wheel will be in its lowermost position and small letters will be continuously printed. \Vhen, however, it is desired to print a figure, the supplemental key K is depressed, carrying with it the levers L and L and permitting the spiral spring 8 to tilt the dog 25 into its forward position, as shown in Fig. 4., thereby locking both levers L and L in an intermediate position and simultaneously lifting the typewheel in the usiial manner so as to bring the figures thereon opposite the type-hammers G. The operator then strikes the desired key K which is to print the figure required. In doin g this, he causes the type-hammer G to be act- .uated, as I have shown, through an intermedrawn up, carrying with it the extension E and sliding bar or rods R, thus forcing the dogs If t backward by reason of their frictional contract with the projections or catches e e and allowing the key-levers L and L to assu me their normal position. (Shown in Fig. 3.) In a similar manner when the supplemental key K and hence its key-lever L is forced into its lower position the type-wheel is caused to assume the position shown in Fig. 5, and the dog t is locked in the position there shown, and will be released in the manner already described after the desired key has been depressed and released. It will be understood, therefore, that each time one of the supplemental keys K or K is depressed the typewheel T is lifted to a corresponding position, just as is ordinarily the case with Hammond type-writers, and that said keys and key-levers will be locked in the positions described and released for each operation,so that all that is required of the operator in the printing of capitals, small letters, punctuation-points, and figures is to manipulate the keys K and supplemental keys K and K in the desired order.

I desire it understood that my claims hereinafter made are directed, broadly, to the application of alockingandareleasingdevice for use with type-writers which shall control the character or letter or figure to be printed, and which shall be automatically released after this feature has been accomplished, and this Without any regard to the particular type of machine used. As, for instance, in the Remington machine, (a well-known form of typewriter,) a bar is depressed when it is desired to make a capital, and this bar is held in its depressed position by one hand of the operator while the character .is being printed through the agency of the key-lever and the other hand of the operator, making it, therefore, absolutely impossible for a person to operate the instrument with one hand. My attachment may be applied to this capitalizing-bar in the Remington so as to lock it down in the same manner as I have shown and described how 1 would look down the supplemental key-levers L and L in the Hammond type-writer, and said bar would be released on the depression of each letter-keyleverin the same manner as I have already described. My claims, therefore, are directed, broadly, to automatic mechanism for controlling the key'levers of a type-writer and their attached parts in such manner that small letters, capitals, figures, or punctuation-points may be made at will, and that the mechanism will be returned to its. normal condition automatically after each letter is printed.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A type-Writer provided with key-levers and means for adapting said key-levers to print from different sets of type, in combination with locking mechanism adapted to hold mechanism adapted to automatically release the locking mechanism after the depression of any one of the aforesaid key-levers,substantially as described.

2. A type-writer provided with key-levers and one or more additional levers for adapting the. aforesaid key-levers to print from different sets of type, in combination with locking mechanism for locking said additional lever or levers in one position, and additional means for automatically releasing said locking mechanism after any one of the key-levers has been depressed, substantially as described.

3. A type-Writer provided with a set of keylevers and one or more locking-levers operatively connected With the printing mechanism thereof, in combination with looking mechanism for locking the second lever or levers in one position, a releasing mechanism adapted to automatically release said locking lever or levers after the depression of any one of the key-levers, substantially as described.

4. A type-writer provided with a set of keylevers operatively connected with printing mechanism and an additional lever also operatively connected with the printing mechanism and adapted when depressed to cause the same to print from a second set of type, and a locking device for locking the latter in a fixed position, and a releasing device operatively connected with the printing mechanism and adapted to automatically release the locking mechanism after the depression of any one of the aforesaid key-levers, substantially as described.

5. A type-writer provided with a set of keylevers operativelyconnected to printing mechanism, a locking-lever also connected to the aforesaid printing mechanism and adapted to permit the aforesaid key-levers to print from either one of tWo sets of .type, and a locking device for holding the locking-lever in a fixed position, in combination with electro-magnetic means operatively connected to the printing mechanism and adapted to release the looking device, substantially as described.

6. A type-writer provided with a set of keylevers operativelyconnected to printing mechanism, a pair of locking-levers also operatively connected to the printing mechanism and adapted to cause said printing mechanism to print from either one of three sets of type, in combination with looking devices for each of the locking-levers, and electro-magnetic means also operatively connected to the printing mechanism and adapted to release the lockingdevices after the depression of any one of the key-levers, substantially as described.

7. A type-writer having a set of key-levers operatively connected to printing mechanism, one or more locking-levers also operatively connected to the printing mechanism, looking devices, one or more, carried by said locking-levers, an electro-magnet having its armature operatively connectedto the locking device or devices, a battery included in circuit with said electro-magnet, and a circuit-closing device operatively connected to the printing mechanism and adapted to close the circuit of the aforesaid battery after the depression of each key-lever, substantially as described.

, I CHARLES J. REED. WVitnesses:

C. J. KINTNER, M.- L. BUTLER.

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